The biggest travel season of the year is right around the corner, but if you’re planning on traveling during Thanksgiving break, it can be hard to find cheap flights. Fortunately for you there are ways to save money on airfare this holiday weekend with these helpful tips.
Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for all the things that you have. It’s also a time to spend with family and friends. If you want to save money on your next trip, then it’s best to buy your tickets in advance. Luckily, there are some great deals out there.
Even though many of us have been holding to summer in our imaginations, October — and the Christmas season — is quickly approaching.
Thanksgiving airfares are sometimes among the most costly of the year. Of fact, because to the Covid-19 epidemic, many people choose to remain in their homes in 2020.
Now that travel is on the mend, millions of people have been immunize against Covid-19, and family and friends are preparing to reconnect to enjoy one of our most cherished holidays.
All indications point to a crowded Thanksgiving travel weekend, which means airlines will be overbooked – and costly.
Now is the time to book your Thanksgiving flights if you’ve been putting it off. But, before you make any selections, make sure you’re aware of the finest tips and methods so you don’t end up spending a hefty sum to travel around Thanksgiving.
Related: Here are 5 reasons to plan your vacation today.
We’ve compiled a list of the five most effective ways to discover low-cost Thanksgiving flights – here’s everything you need to know.
Prior to the epidemic, the largest travel day of the year was usually the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, when the whole population would go on a “great migration,” crisscrossing the nation in order to visit family and friends. Then, on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, airports would be packed with people racing to get home in time to return to work or school.
Because of the pandemic’s increased flexibility in working arrangements, many travelers now have the option of traveling on “nontraditional” Thanksgiving travel days, which generally means finding cheaper tickets.
Consider flights between Detroit and Miami. Nonstop economy flights with full-service carrier Delta from the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Nov. 24, to the Sunday following the holiday, Nov. 28, would set you back $778 round way.
Google Flights is a great resource for booking flights. is a great resource for booking flights. is a great resource for booking flights. is a great resource for booking flights. is a great resource for booking flights.
For $778 round way, fly from Detroit to Miami.
If you can work remotely — or have additional time off — and fly from Tuesday, Nov. 23 to Tuesday, Nov. 30, you can go to the sun for only $249 round way in Delta’s main economy cabin.
Google Flights
For $249 round way, fly from Detroit to Miami.
Of course, not everyone has the financial freedom to go on the cheapest days. Many business travelers are only able to get away from the office during the “typical” Thanksgiving holiday weekend. However, if you have the ability to work remotely, it’s well worth considering extending — or shortening — your vacation to save hundreds of dollars on airfares.
Flyers may select from a variety of airports in many major urban regions. Airports in New York include LaGuardia (LGA), Kennedy (JFK), and Newark (EWR); in Chicago, O’Hare (ORD) and Midway (MDW); in Houston, George Bush-Intercontinental (IAH) and Hobby (HOU); and so on.
Related: How to get into some of the top airport lounges in the world.
Check to discover whether your location has a secondary airport that services the region while looking for flights. Many times, flying to a smaller airport rather than the main airport servicing an area is less expensive.
For example, if you flew Delta Air Lines to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) on Thanksgiving Day, you could fly from Pittsburgh to Boston for $607 round way.
Google Flights
For $607 round fare, you can fly from Pittsburgh to Boston.
Alternatively, you might travel to neighboring Providence (PVD) for $387 round fare on the same dates with new airline Breeze.
Google Flights
$387 round-trip from Pittsburgh to Providence
If you don’t have a specific location in mind but know you want to go away for the holidays, Google Flights’ Explore tool is a good place to start. You may use the free service to check which destinations have the lowest airfare.
Google Flights
Google Flights Explore is a fantastic tool for travelers with a lot of options.
You may use the Explore tool to look for particular dates or days that are flexible within a month. You may choose your origin city and Google will handle the rest. You may then choose a place that appeals to you and works within your budget, and book your flights from there.
Google Flights also lets you establish fare alerts, which will notify you through email if the price of a certain ticket rises or falls. This is particularly useful if you set alerts months in advance of your trip so you can take advantage of a good price when it arises.
In recent years, several low-cost airlines have made significant improvements to their operations and customer service. They are known for demanding substantial costs for whatever extras you may desire, including as checked baggage, seat selection, carry-on bags, and, in some circumstances, even water, even though they may offer low rates.
While “legacy” airlines such as American, Delta, and United have attempted to replicate the low-cost experience with basic economy rates, you may avoid them by buying a “normal” economy ticket. If you opt to travel a low-cost airline, however, you face the danger of being delayed or even stranded if weather or other conditions cause your trip to be canceled.
courtesy of Getty Images
The cheapest fare isn’t always the best option.
Legacy airlines often have bigger fleets and higher flight frequencies, which means you’ll have a better chance of being rebooked to your ultimate destination if anything goes wrong on the day of your trip.
Make the most of your miles and points
If you’re having trouble locating flights that meet your budget, use any points or miles you’ve accumulated by traveling or using a travel rewards credit card.
The top travel credit cards for 2021 may be found here.
All of the main airlines in the United States have their own loyalty schemes. If you’ve previously booked a ticket with American, Delta, United, Southwest, or JetBlue and included your frequent flyer number in the reservation, you’ll be awarded with points and miles for your loyalty.
And if you’ve accumulated enough points and miles in your accounts over the course of the outbreak, Thanksgiving could be the greatest time to put them to use.
For example, over the Thanksgiving holiday, you might use your United Airlines is an airline based in the United States MileagePlus points to fly from New York to San Francisco. Instead of $431 for the identical flights, a round-trip nonstop journey from Monday, Nov. 22, to Monday, Nov. 29, would cost you 41,200 miles and just $11.20 in taxes and fees.
United Airlines
A round-trip flight utilizing miles from New York to San Francisco
While you won’t receive the most value from your miles in this situation, it’s a no-brainer if you’re looking to save money.
If you don’t have enough United points in your account right now, you may transfer them from Chase’s Ultimate Rewards program. If you keep a Chase Sapphire card and earn Ultimate Rewards, you may transfer those points to United Airlines at a 1:1 ratio.
6 Reasons to Apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card
In general, utilizing points and miles to book flights around busy travel periods is simpler when booking far in advance, but as the previous example demonstrates, you may find decent prices even at this stage of the game provided you have some flexibility and points and miles saved up.
Thanksgiving is almost approaching. Now is the time to finalize your trip arrangements if you haven’t already. Even though this is a traditionally pricey time to travel, there are still some cheap flights available for this year’s vacation.
The “best time to buy thanksgiving flights” is a question that many people are asking. There are many different factors that go into finding the best time to buy flights, including when they will be cheaper and what day of the week it is.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do flights get cheaper closer to Thanksgiving?
Will Thanksgiving airfare go down?
A: Sometimes airlines will release cheaper flight prices in the weeks leading up to a holiday. If youre planning on traveling this coming Thursday, keep an eye out for special deals!
When should you book flights for Thanksgiving?
A: Thanksgiving is on November 22, so you should book your flights as soon as possible to make sure that you can travel.
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